§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take regarding the Dell invoice, a copy of which his Department has recently received; and if he will make a statement on the implications in the document for United Kingdom sovereignty.
§ Mr. NeedhamWe do not have sufficient information about the specific case raised to answer the question in full; however, Her Majesty's Government reject claims by foreign Governments to exorbitant extraterritorial control over the re-export of foreign-origin goods and technology. We recognise, however, that we cannot prevent foreign Governments from making such claims or seeking to enforce them in their own territories.
Her Majesty's Government's judgment has therefore been that United Kingdom companies and individuals should generally be allowed to make a commercial decision on whether or not to comply with such requirements.
Any goods or technology exported from the United Kingdom which are controlled under the Export of Goods (Control) Order, as amended, must comply with the licensing requirements set out in that order. This requirement is not altered by the fact that the exporter of the goods has also elected to comply with a foreign nation's export regulations.